Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.

Remembering D-Day, 68 years later

Many people forget, or never knew, that the war in Europe was virtually non-existent before June 6, 1944. Until that time, the Nazi’s had successfully repulsed Allied efforts to bring the war to European soil. The Nazis owned the land in Europe. Sure, there were aerial bombing raids, spies, in-country resistance movements, etc., but that didn’t stop Nazi dominance. What stopped it was good, old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground warfare — and that warfare began with the first wave on D-Day.

I have never, never, never been able to imagine the feelings of the men in the first wave, seasick, cold, wet, rushing into sure death. My brain just doesn’t take me there. All I know is that the free world owes these men, and the waves of them who followed them to such places as Bastogne and Berlin, their undying gratitude.

To each of those men, I can only say, I salute you, sir!

[Photo deleted, because it was a film shot -- I knew it was too well-framed to be true....]

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Book: Great post, and I agree with you about the debt we owe these incredibly brave men. But the third picture down is from a film (either Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers), not an actual photograph from the day.

http://www.jamesgraham.bz JamesG

Thanks for this. The third photo from the top is new to me. It’s a great one!

beefrank

I think of Reagan’s speech regarding this historic day. And what is Obama doing today? Fund-raising!!

Thanks, FunkyPhD. I rather thought it might be, because it was so perfectly framed. I’ll delete it.

Beth

One of the best road trips we took while living in Europe–Omaha Beach. Still has the big anti-landing thingys in the water, huge pits in the surrounding hills. Let the kids run on the beach while we prayed a little, cried a little and toasted the fallen with a bottle of wine. It was a heart-wrenching trip. The cemeteries were so hard to fathom but it was an honor to walk among them.
Gratitude isn’t enough. We have to live the freedoms they died for; speaking out against the wrongs, to our neighbors and friends as well as elected officials. Emails, letters, phone calls, votes.

Danny Lemieux

One of the very touching facts about the D-Day beaches is that the Normans living in that area remain staunchly pro-American.

http://www.jamesgraham.bz JamesG

Thanks for deleting that photo.

The tanks with those huge snorkles ought to have tipped me off since on the real DDay they were a failure.

michal

my uncle, dad’s brother was in the 101st airborne. He survived and served under Gen Mcauliffe, the one who told the Germans “nuts” when asked to surrender when they were surrounded. He won a silver star for that one.
My husband’s great uncle was a medic and died on the beach.